As consumer electronics continue to decrease in cost and increase in reliability and features provided, their use in many consumer products becomes more practical, and even desirable. One factor contributing to the acceptability of electronic controls in many consumer products, including consumer home appliances, is that the population as a whole is becoming more computer literate and used to electronic displays and push button controls. No longer are consumers turned off by electronic displays and control systems in favor of their electromechanical counterparts. Indeed, consumers have come to demand increased sophistication in the cycles provided by their appliances.
To meet this demand, many manufacturers are now providing multi-functional electronic controls in their consumer appliances. As an added benefit of these electronic controls, manufacturers are able to incorporate intelligence and communications capability into the controls. As such, these electronic controls add greater flexibility to the operation of the appliances and allow for integration of new functions which, before such integration, were not feasible. In addition to enhanced operability, these electronic controllers also provide diagnostic system checking to ensure that the appliance is operating properly.
Unfortunately, even when operating properly, the operation of ignition or combustion sources, such as those included in stoves, furnaces, hot water heaters, etc., create carbon monoxide as a byproduct. When one of these appliances malfunctions, the possibility of increased production of carbon monoxide could create a hazardous condition which could endanger the lives of the occupants.
To minimize the risk that occupants could be overcome by excessive carbon monoxide within a dwelling due to appliance malfunction or other sources, many consumers have now chosen to install carbon monoxide detectors throughout their dwellings. Such detectors typically provide an audible warning that an excessive level of carbon monoxide has been detected. While such a carbon monoxide detector significantly reduces the chances that the occupants of a dwelling would be overcome by the toxic gas, if the consumers do not hear the audible alarm, for any number of reasons, the increasing levels of carbon monoxide within the dwelling could soon overcome the occupants.
There exists, therefore, a need in the art for coordinated operation between a detector that senses a high level of carbon monoxide and an appliance controller that can limit the operation of ignition/combustion sources that may be causing or exacerbating the hazardous condition. There also exists a need in the art for an appliance controller that can operate ventilation equipment to reduce or eliminate the hazardous condition without causing another.